After My First Love Who is My Classmate Became My Family, My Childhood Friend Became Really Sweet to Me - Chapter 31

Hinata’s past ①/Treasure/The Most Precious Memory

I was at the balcony while the moonlight shines over me.

The bright white moon was floating in the sky. When I looked at the balcony beside where Tsukino lives, there were no any lights on the window.

I knew that I need to go to bed soon, but my mind was fidgeting and I couldn’t sleep at all. It’s like the nervous feeling of the day before high school entrance exam.

Because tomorrow is the first time I—

Yuto said to me we need to go on a date tomorrow so that we can continue to live on as a true family…

But what a family actually is?

If it means someone related by blood that means me and Yuto can only be half family forever. Yuto and me only have half of the same blood in our veins.

Then I guess that means my mom is the only real family I have.

I’m raised by a single mother since birth until she remarried to another man.

When I was little, all she did is work all day long and I was always alone when I came home.

I wonder if my mother hates me—there was a time when I actually thought so.

I couldn’t help but chuckle thinking about it. I’ve been so bad at treating my family since then.

When I asked her permission to live together with Yuto, she was totally against it, although in the end she allowed me to do so. My mom really hates Tetsuya, that’s why she doesn’t want me to live with his son, Yuto.

But even so, I left home, and I am living with Yuto like this.

That’s how special Yuto is to me.

“…….”

I walked away from the balcony and head to the closet in my room.

There are three piles of cardboard boxes at the corner of the closet. Inside of the bottom one is my personal treasure that I don’t want anyone to see.

“Oh, there it is.”

With a smile on my face, I took it out—a slightly faded stuffed Fuwashiba.

I can’t help but to think it’s really nostalgic.

This one is different from the Fuwashiba that Yuto recently gave me as a gift—a boy gave it to me when I’m six years old.

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It was the first time in my life that I had been to an amusement park.

I always wanted to ride on a big Ferris wheel and a cute merry-go-round someday. But, I want to go home then.

It’s because my mom was not at the amusement park that day, I had to play with an uncle and a boy I don’t know.

Why did my mother not come?

…I guess it’s because they hate me after all.

“My name is Yukiyo, I am six years old. I know I’m a bit of trouble to you, but please take care of me.”

I bowed as my mother had taught me so.

The boy tilted his head curiously and said.

“Yukiyo is your last name, right? What is your first name?”

“……”

I had to say something. If I keep silent, this boy will hate me. But I just couldn’t tell him my name.

Because I really hated the name Hinata.

Everyone in kindergarten used to tease me, saying that my name which means the warmth of the sun, didn’t suit me at all because I was shy and timid.

Words won’t come out from my mouth and the boy was staring at me. I don’t want him to think I’m a strange girl. But the words just won’t come out, I felt like I was going to cry—

Poof, the boy’s face lit up. It’s as if he was trying to cheer me up.

“Then, I’ll just call you Yuki-chan. Yuki-chan, have you ever been to an amusement park before?

“…no.”

“I see, it’s your first time. Well, I hope we can have fun together today. Right, Dad?”

“I guess so. Yuki will probably have more fun playing with kids her age. I’ll stay away and watch over you both, so feel free to go and play.”

“Yeah, it’s nice meeting you Yuki-chan, my name is—”

After the boy introduced himself, we entered the amusement park.

But I wasn’t excited at all. All I could think of was I don’t want to disappoint this boy who was smiling at me.

Then the boy asked me.

“What do you want to ride?”

I timidly answered.

“Anything.”

“Well, I have an attraction I want to ride, is it okay with you?”

Then, like a robot who only listens to commands, I followed the boy.

We went to ride merry-go-round, teacups, and even Ferris wheel.

All of the attractions the boys wanted to ride are the attractions I wanted to ride as well, but I didn’t really enjoy them.

…I guess I shouldn’t had come after all.

Every time I went on a ride with the boy, I was afraid that he would get angry at me. I’m afraid he would say ‘Yuki-san is so boring, you don’t say anything.’

The only thing on my mind was that I couldn’t wait for the day to end and go home… I was walking around the game section as I thought about it.

Suddenly, I stopped walking.

I saw my favorite Fuwashiba stuffed animal was on display as a prize.

“…it’s Fuwashiba.”

A fluffy pet dog who always do his best for his master. I loved watching fluffy animated cartoons like that because they made me forget the loneliness of being alone.

If I have a Fuwashiba, I would hug him every day and I won’t feel lonely anymore, that’s what I thought while I was standing in front of the Fuwashiba stuffed animal.

I didn’t even notice that boy was staring at me.

“Yuki-chan, do you like Fuwashiba?”

“What!? T-That’s not true. I’m sorry, let’s move on.”

“…no, I don’t mind at all. I just wanted to play the game. Let’s play together.”

“…y-yeah.”

The Fuwashiba stuffed animal was a prize for a game where we need to throw some balls into jars.

But some of the jars were very small, and it seems that in order to get the first prize stuffed animal, we have to throw them in perfectly without making a single mistake.

When I failed the first time, I felt like I had to try again.

When I failed the third time, I thought it was really difficult.

By the time I failed for the fifth time, my heart was broken.

“Hey, that’s enough. We’re running out of time for rides.”

“Don’t worry, I’m getting the hang of it. Can I play some more dad?”

The boy’s father nodded and the boy grabs the ball again.

Why doesn’t this boy just give up? This is impossible.

As I expected, the boy failed again and again, but he never looked disappointed.

The boy’s determination seemed to touch everyone, the clerk who was giving him the ball, and even the people around him started to cheer for him.

Then for the tenth time, the boy threw all of the balls perfectly, but there was still one ball left. The people around were rooting for him.

M-Maybe, he is going to throw it all in perfectly…!?

My heart throbs so much that I felt like I was going to lose control. The boy swung at the ball with a serious look on his face—and a light ‘cling’ sound was heard, it’s the sound of the last ball going into the last jar.

“Eh!!! Yayyy———!”

The people around him applaud with big smiles on their faces, the boy seemed really happy.

Wow—wow, wow, wow!

My heart was so full of excitement that all I could do was clap my hands. The boy receives the stuffed Fuwashiba as if he was receiving a trophy…

Then he held it out to me as if it was a matter of course.

“Here, present.”

“…are you sure?”

“I tried to win it because Yuki-chan looked really wants it. If you don’t want it then that means I did all that for nothing.”

So I received the stuffed animal with trepidation, but when I held it in my hand I was amazed of how soft it is. It was the first time in my life that I’m so happy to receive a gift from someone.

The boy looked relived when I received the gift happily.

“I’m so glad. Yuki-chan, you finally smiled.”

“E-Eh? Me…?”

“I was wondering what to do since you looked so lonely no matter what attraction we rode. It’s an amusement park after all, and I want Yuki to have fun too.”

I was taken aback. Could it be that he chose to ride the merry-go-round or the teacup because he wants me to be happy…?

This boy is so sweet and kind.

When I thought of it, I felt some kind of heat burning deep inside my chest.

“…umm.”

I squeezed and hugged the Fuwashiba. …please god.

Just for now, please give me courage.

“I was looking forward to ride the Merry-go-round. It’s so beautiful, it looks like a carriage that a princess would ride in. I really wanted to ride that one, but I couldn’t bring myself to say so—if it’s not too much trouble, can we ride it again?”

The boy looked at me in surprise and smiled as if he had been waiting for me to say it.

“Sure! Shall we ride it together then?”

“—y-yeah!”

Behind the boy who was pulling my hand, an uncle was smiling as he watched over us.